


Recording

by a_variant_of_roar



Category: The Hobbit RPF
Genre: Desolation of Smaug, First Meetings, M/M, The Hobbit 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-24
Updated: 2017-01-24
Packaged: 2018-09-19 14:24:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9445313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_variant_of_roar/pseuds/a_variant_of_roar
Summary: Benedict Cumberbatch was offered the part of Smaug. Martin Freeman was Bilbo Baggins.This is their first meeting





	

Benedict regrets not having paid attention when the first movie was being showed. Now that he was to be the voice of the dragon, Smaug, he was clueless. The Lord of the Rings trilogy had been his personal favourite, but in his experience, all sequels, or in this case, prequel, are unable to match up to them, however hard they try. 

When the part was first offered, he had said yes without thinking it through, something he usually doesn't do, but now, after his agent had left, he had researched, a lot. 

First he saw the movie again, and actually paid attention this time. He was impressed, Peter Jackson had out done himself. 

Then he researched Peter, then briefly his co-stars. He was to practice his lines with the king... Armitage, Richard Armitage, Thorin, right, and the Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, played by Martin Freeman. The guys had done some pretty fair work in the first movie in his honest opinion. 

A week later, his growls had been recorded for the chase, and the conversations were left. First came Armitage. The makeup guys and those in the art department must have some mean talent, as even after looking up some of his pictures online, it was hard to connect the two characters, Thorin and Richard. 

He personally thought that "witless worm" was going a bit far, as Smaug seemed anything but a worm lacking wit, but each to their own. 

The recording went without a hitch, the only thing left was the recording of a scene with Thorin, Bilbo and Smaug. 

When the missing actor came in, Ben was simply amazed at his co-actor, Armitage's behaviour towards Freeman, namely, smitten. 

Ben was quite surprised at Armitage blatant flirting with Freeman. Well, blatant to all but the man in question. Freeman continued as if the sexual tension assumed by Armitage was non existent. Though, other than the second hand shame he felt for Armitage, Ben thought that it had been a very successful day of work. The work had been easy, ambience nice, mood light and company fair, very fair. Despite his contempt at his Armitage behaved with Freeman, Freeman himself had been great to talk to, with all his knowledge of a little bit of nearly everything, and a lot for the rest. He talked about the latest twist of plot in that small time Sci-fi serial they both watched, talked about how shares fell at the last opening with a crew man, about the psychology of a man just out of prison, and how this actor fell short or that one excelled in his role as one with Ben. 

He knew the nuances required of this role or that one, maybe not just as good as Benedict himself, but he knew human behaviour, though maybe just instinctively, but better than nearly all the other actors that Benedict has had the misfortune of knowing. 

The next day of recording came with a small set back. The plane that was to bring Freeman from New Zealand to the recording studio was cancelled due to bad weather. 

Ben wasn't exactly u n happy at not getting to meet the guy again, hasn't been exactly looking forward to it, but damn it if he had. His agent called to tell him that now he had some free time where the recording had been. 

Well, in retaliation, he decided he would spend the afternoon clearing out his mind palace and deleting some things from it that had been required of his roles, but could not help him in any of the upcoming ones. 

He mainly stuck to plays, loved the interaction with his audience and how he could see first hand how his acting affected them, but every once in a while, there comes a role that compels him to leave London. The script has to be an eight at least, or the trip is never worth the money. 

While he shuffled and mused over his palace, his personal phone vibrated, first with an incoming call, then with a series of texts. At the third insistent text, he took it out of his pocket and scrolled. 

The number was unknown, but it started with

  


**I'm not a stalker, for while this number was received without your knowledge, this number has only been acquired to apologize for not being able to make to the recording studio today. I understand that that must have given you some trouble, especially considering how busy your timetable must be and how much trouble you had to have gone through to make space for the recording at such as short notice.**

**I hope we can find a slot open soon for the recording. Martin**

**Martin Freeman**

  


Since Ben only knew one Martin, Freeman or otherwise, and considering that the fact that the recording had had to be canceled still hasn't appeared in any of his fans ' blogs, it was safe to assume that the Martin here is the one from The Hobbit. 

Well, this'll be interesting...


End file.
